Traditional Christmas Drinks from Around the World
New Year and Christmas in different countries are accompanied by various drinks. Want to diversify your table? Check out the article with recipe links!
Preparing for the Holiday Party
At the end of the year, various holidays are celebrated around the world. In some countries, people celebrate Christmas, while in others — New Year. Santa Claus or someone very similar to him brings gifts to children. But besides presents, there’s the question of the festive table! What are celebrations without holiday meals and drinks? Exactly, not much to think about!
In this post, we’ll focus on beverages for the holiday season. You’ll definitely have ideas for what to serve at your holiday table. For inspiration, this blog about lists turns to the “The Christmas Book of Lists” [1], it’s full of the holiday spirit! It’s a great starting point, and perhaps something can even be added. The author of this blog supports you not only with organization but also with taste.
So, the List of Alcoholic Christmas Cocktails and Drinks
To avoid vague descriptions, each drink comes with a recipe link. Let’s start with alcoholic drinks, as they have somehow overtaken non-alcoholic ones in terms of popularity at holiday parties and gatherings. Whether you're hosting a Christmas party or a cozy holiday gathering, these festive drinks are sure to bring the holiday spirit to your celebrations.
Ale Posset
A punch made from milk, ale, beer, wine, and spices. This drink is popular in Yorkshire, England.
Eggnog
A famous American holiday drink — a frothy mix of sugar, eggs, and cream.
Glégg
A popular Swedish mulled wine served warm with almonds and raisins. The drink is made from red wine or grape juice with black currants or cranberry juice, traditionally spiced with cinnamon, orange, almonds, and a pinch of raisins.
Gluhwein
Austrians enjoy this hot, spiced wine on Christmas.
It’s quite a famous hot drink, and there are also some alternatives with their names in other countries.
Lamb’s Wool
Another English specialty made from apples, ale, and spices. One can also use apple cider as an ingredient.
Syllabub
Also known as milk punch, this is a popular festive drink in the American South.
Wassail
A popular English Christmas punch — the only drink to inspire its song, “Here We Come A-Wassailing.” It’s a tasty combination of ale and spices (cinnamon, cloves).
And by the way, the song is lovely:
Coquito
A Christmas drink from Puerto Rico. It consists of Puerto Rican dark rum, coconut milk, coconut cream, condensed milk, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. Also known as Puerto Rican eggnog.
Cola de Mono
An alcoholic cocktail from Chile. Made with strong alcohol, milk, coffee, sugar, and spices. The name translates to “monkey’s tail.”
Non-Alcoholic Christmas and New Year Drinks
Not all ingredients are suitable for children.
Hot Chocolate
Homemade hot chocolate is a nice guest at your table. Well, yes, you can meet it all over the year, but special Christmas editions are also available. See the example in the recipe below.
Sbiten
While not specifically a Christmas or New Year drink, it’s a classic winter beverage. Before tea became common in the Russian Empire, this was a favorite way to keep warm in winter, known for its honey and spices.
Poppy Milk
A traditional Lithuanian drink and one of the twelve dishes at the Kūčios festive dinner. Made from poppy seeds, sugar, and spices.
A Small Request
If I missed an interesting drink, don’t hesitate to write here, on Reddit, or Threads. I’ll gladly add any missing beverages.
I hope you enjoyed exploring festive drinks! Happy upcoming holidays to you all!
Enjoyed learning about eggnog and glégg? Discover how children write their Christmas lists in different countries. Better yet, subscribe to the “So List” blog. There’s still so much wonder in the world. Every week, we marvel at fascinating phenomena expressed in the list format.
References
[1] Elizabeth Haynie, “The Christmas Book of Lists”, ISBN 0-9637195-0-5
[2] Image from the page Amazingly Good Eggnog Recipe on the Allrecipes website
[3] Image from the page Swedish Glögg - True North Kitchen on the True North Kitchen website
[4] Image from the page “Gluhwein Recipe and Photos” on the “T—J” website
[5] Image from the page Lambswool Recipe - OAKDEN on the OAKDEN website
[6] Image from the page How To Make Syllabub - Best Recipe | Charleston Magazine on the Charleston Magazine website
[7] Image from the page Wassail Recipe on the Allrecipes website
